Consultancy and research

The majority of mobile users (85%) favour mobile apps over mobile websites, but they have very high expectations of them, according to new research.

The survey, conducted by Equation Research on behalf of technology performance company Compuware, interviewed 3,534 consumers across the US, EMEA and APAC regions, including 509 respondents from the UK, to examine app use worldwide.

Key findings of the report are:

• 80% of consumers expect mobile apps. to launch in less than three seconds

• 78% expect apps to be faster or load at an equal speed to mobile websites

• 34% would switch to a competitor’s app and 31% would actually be less likely to purchase from the company at all following a poor experience with a mobile app.

• 40% of users have tried an app that simply would not launch and 79% will only retry a mobile app. once or twice more if it fails to launch

• 31% would tell others about their negative experience, whilst 26% would be inclined to leave a negative rating on the app store

• 84% of consumers base app. download decision on app store ratings

Mobile applications are thought to make life easier by streamlining calendars and grocery lists, offering entertainment while in line and making it easy to collaborate with co-workers.

Consumers now associate apps with banking, paying bills, shopping, booking hotels and travel, as well as with staying productive and connected with both home and office tasks.

When asked about the benefits of using a mobile app vs. a mobile website(a website that is specifically designed to be viewed on a mobile device),85 percent of survey respondents preferred mobile apps over mobile websites, primarily because apps are more convenient, faster and easier to navigate.

The survey of more than 3,500 global respondents sought to answer what consumers really need and want when it comes to mobile applications. While the answer to this question is ever changing, there are a few basics, including:

• easy access to product and store information;
• help planning and navigating their trip types; and
• the ability to communicate in real-time.

Consumers want apps that push out personalized content as well as offers and perks based on their interests, while providing the ability to share offers, news and product recommendations virally on their social networks. However, bad mobile app experiences will likely also be shared virally which can result in poor reviews and low ratings that can impact adoption numbers. A poor mobile app experience is also likely to discourage users from using that app again.

“With consumers expecting greater experiences with mobile apps now more than ever, fulfilling those expectations doesn’t just happen -- it takes a conscious effort throughout every stage of the design and development process to get it right,” said Stephen Pierzchala, Technology Strategist, Compuware APM Center of Excellence. “Performance is a crucial contributor to providing a dependable mobile app user experience, so performance should be considered a key driver in the design process. Mobile applications need to focus on a core utility, and they need to be fast and reliable in order to be valuable.”